The Tamil Nadu government has confirmed a ban on gambling between midnight and 5 a.m. This decision was upheld by a court, which cited the high risk that gambling at night could lead to loss of life. Both men and women are vulnerable to this problem.
Thus, the Madras High Court upheld Tamil Nadu's ban on online gambling for real money between midnight and 5 a.m. The judge cited public health concerns and the fact that people who lose money gambling often commit suicide.
The court considered petitions from companies involved in online gaming, which sought to have the 2025 Regulations adopted by the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (real money games) declared unconstitutional. However, the businesses did not achieve their goal, as the court upheld the restrictions imposed by the government under the leadership of MK Stalin. The court referred mainly to the fact that about fifty people committed suicide precisely because they lost at online games.
Judges SM Subramanian and K Rajasekar also supported the logical requirement for platforms to implement Aadhaar-based authentication. Such authentication is essential because it ensures that only adult users—those over the age of 18—have access to real-money gambling.
This issue is particularly relevant today, when gambling is readily available online and operators release games that can keep users engaged for hours on end. For example, the recently popular game Plinko falls into this category. It has the lowest possible entry threshold — virtually any internet user can find a platform with the game on sites such as https://www.plinkogames.in/, complete a short registration process, and start placing bets.
The petitions filed by various online gaming operators were rejected. They claim that the state government has overstepped the boundaries set by the Constitution. They also say that regulation of this kind is the exclusive competence of the central government.
However, the court noted in its ruling that the state government had provided sufficient evidence to confirm the existence of a public health crisis. This crisis arose due to addiction to online games. The result of this addiction was financial ruin and mental suffering, but the most tragic outcome was the loss of human life.
The court also added that Tamil Nadu is facing a unique and serious situation, with reports of at least 47 deaths. Therefore, the state has powers that are fully consistent with the Constitution to take measures to protect its citizens on grounds of public health and public order.
The government provided data showing cases of both extreme suffering and suicides directly linked to the huge debts that people had accumulated because they had lost money in online gambling. This refers specifically to real money betting.
Companies offering online games and operating in Tamil Nadu were satisfied with this court decision. The introduction of such mandatory “empty” hours will have a direct impact on how the gambling platform interacts with users—not to mention the fact that night hours provide a high level of revenue. Aadhaar-based authentication, while aimed at protecting minors, also affects ease of access and potentially complicates the recruitment of new users.
These are just some of the reasons why representatives of the online gaming industry were disappointed with the court's decision. Following the ruling, they reiterated their concerns about excessive state influence and pressure on legitimate businesses.
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